John Kennedy | Tallahassee Bureau Chief | May 23, 2008
PENSACOLA - With record turnout expected and the state's biggest counties switching to new optical-scan voting machines, Florida's elections supervisors acknowledged Thursday that they are anxious about this fall's elections.
"I think early voting this fall is going to be ugly," said Pinellas County Elections Supervisor Deborah Clark, who said she fears that compared with the three-hour lines seen in the days leading up to the 2004 presidential contest, this year's turnout will swell because of the fiercely fought race.
The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections ended a four-day conference Thursday in Pensacola Beach, with most elections chiefs saying they are confident but cautious about the state's prospects for a flawless election.
The biggest wild card: the 15counties that are abandoning touch-screen voting machines and joining the rest of the state in using paper ballots tabulated on optical scanners. Lake County is among those switching, as are Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Orlando SentinelYes, because it's Florida? :shrug: